Couple's Counseling
by AlwaysBeHappy
Summary: After seven years of being married, Kyo and Tohru decide to call it quits. Shigure convinces the two to go to marriage counseling in hopes of saving their marriage. However, the pair finds the place to be a bit... unorthodox. Will Kyo and Tohru find a way to renew their love for each other or will they be driven further apart? [ON HIATUS]


**Hello! Welcome to my second FanFiction story. I recently thought of a new plot for a story, so here it is. This is definitely romance and some humor. It's not all humor though. I haven't exactly thought of a proper rating yet, but for now I'll set it as T. Please enjoy this story! I worked pretty hard on this first chapter so please remember to favorite, follow, and review.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket**

"I can't do this anymore!" yelled a furious man with carrot colored hair that covered his forehead. He was tall and lean and was in his mid 20's. His tan hands were buried in his hair in obvious frustration. He looked like he would break down at any moment; the ends of his lips were curved downward and his eyes were wide with disbelief. His amber eyes reflected anger, desperation, and even hatred towards the woman who stood silently before him, her blue eyes dull and empty.

"Kyo-kun," she called, her soft voice lacking the warmth and empathy the orange-haired man was once used to. "let's get a divorce."

The man looked up at the woman in surprise, the word 'divorce' ringing in his ears.

"Divorce," he murmured to himself as he sat down on the floral patterned sofa. He thought to himself about his wife's proposal. The brown-haired woman stood away from him, arms crossed and lips pursed, waiting for the answer that would change the course of their lives.

The woman's dark blue eyes locked away any trace of emotion. Her face was unreadable and framed by her short brown locks and bangs. She had a small frame and light skin, giving her a youthful appearance from afar; however, on closer inspection, her youthfulness was masked by the bags under her eyes that seemed to be resting there permanently. Her face contained no wrinkles, but the tiredness was evident in her countenance. Her marriage had taken its toll on her body, and she was ready to end it all.

The couple had been pondering the idea of separation for a year now, wondering whether or not they should end their marriage. The two had never verbally mentioned divorce, not even as a threat, but they knew that the marriage couldn't last any longer.

The two of them had met in high school and they had learned to understand each other through a mystical curse that had been put on Kyo and his family. He had fallen deeply in love with the compassionate and kind girl from his high school days; that love had broken the curse that had ruined his life up to that point.

_Tohru saved me_, he had always thought and he had always felt grateful to have her in his life; but things were different now. The sweet and cheerful Tohru had changed into a quiet and gloomy woman, and Kyo wasn't able to figure out why this change had occurred.

Despite the disorder between the two ex-lovers, they had happy memories buried deep inside the ruins of their marriage. The first six years had been blissful and full of heart-warming memories, but those were soon forgotten after Tohru saw Kyo go to a love hotel with another woman. She had cried many nights after finding out of her husband's betrayal, even developing a severe case of depression for months. The depression had healed, but her trust could not be regained by Kyo, no matter what he did. She lived in constant fear that her husband would leave her, and she didn't dare mention the idea of divorce; she had concluded that she couldn't live without him. She had always thought that she loved him more than he loved her, but that was okay in her mind, as long as she had him by her side.

Now, Tohru couldn't have wanted to divorce her husband any more than she wanted at this point. Her love for him had diminished into nothing but what she thought to be attachment, which she believed she could quickly get over. She gradually put distance between her and her husband, still remembering how he deceived her. He had made her feel loved and cherished at one point. She had been happy, but that happiness was gone in an instant. He didn't love her, she thought. He didn't need her like she had needed him. She was ready to end it all and move on with her life which had been stuck in the same place for so long.

Both people had changed and it was something that neither partner could accept.

"Please answer me," said Tohru, tucking a strand of her short brown hair behind her ear and resuming her crossed arms position. She stared intently at her husband's face.

Kyo looked into the eyes of the woman he had once been crazy for. Her deep blue pools stared into his amber ones. He couldn't tell how she was feeling. He had always been able to read how she felt, but this time, he couldn't see into Tohru's protected mind.

The man took a deep breath. He felt anxious about giving an answer, suddenly feeling judged by the world around him. _This is it. This one answer will determine the fate of our marriage._

"Okay," he answered, his heart pounding. He could feel the hot sting of sweat forming on the crooks of his neck. He swallowed his anxiety. "Let's get a divorce, Tohru."

The weight of his answer rested on Tohru's chest. It was final. It was real. They were going to be exes. She didn't feel the satisfaction of being free and she wasn't sure why. Instead, she felt her locked emotions escape from their shelter. Waves of tears rolled down her face, quiet sobs echoing in the silent room. She was freed from the bindings of marriage, yet she felt more trapped than ever.

Kyo looked at the ground, his mind empty. He didn't have the will to comfort his soon-to-be-ex wife. They had begun as strangers and they'd be strangers again. He didn't know the woman who was weeping in front of him.

The sobs turned into short gasps for air and sniffling. Tohru's face was streaked with stains from her tears and her tired face was red.

"I'll call... the lawyer... for divorce papers," said Tohru between gasps for air. She quickly walked out of the room, her emotions uncontrollable.

She had done so well hiding her emotions from her husband for the past year. It was strange for Kyo to see her cry. It relieved him knowing that she was still human. She had stopped showing any emotion to him, making him question whether or not she was the real Tohru. He wasn't sure why she suddenly became unreachable. He had assumed that it was a phase in their marriage that would soon pass, but it never did. He was sick and tired of her one-word answers and cold shoulder. He felt suffocated by their marriage.

"I made the right choice," he muttered to himself. He wished that the words he had said matched the way he felt. He didn't feel justified or relieved in declaring an end with Tohru. In fact, he felt torn inside. Was it love? He often wondered that to himself. He assured himself that it was just attachment love and that it meant nothing.

Kyo rubbed his temples, closing his eyes in thought.

"Be happy, be happy, be happy," he commanded to himself. He sighed. It wasn't working. He was still shaken by Tohru's sobs, which he hadn't heard since the death of her grandfather. The resonance of the sobs still echoed in his ears. He placed a hand to his built chest and rubbed where he felt an unidentifiable ache.

Meanwhile, Tohru was in her shared bedroom, tracing the engraved patterns of the silver picture frame in her hands. In the picture was her in a simplistically designed, white wedding gown that barely touched the ground. Her hair had been curled and carefully put up into a bun, which she topped with a white veil. She was smiling with liveliness and her eyes were a striking bright blue. The orange-haired man in the sophisticated black tuxedo beside her had his white-gloved hand on her waist, his gentle amber eyes focused on the woman's joyful expression. He had only a slight smile, but even a small gesture as that one indicated his bliss on that momentous day.

_If only I could go back in time... I would go back to this very moment. Maybe I could have done something different so that Kyo-kun wouldn't have become tired of me. _Tohru heaved a long sigh and put the silver frame back on her nightstand, faced down. She knew it was pointless to reminisce old times. All she could do now was look towards the future.

* * *

"Yeah, I'm telling the truth right now. I'm not joking. No, this isn't a prank. I really am divorcing Tohru," said Kyo into the device held up to his ear. He cringed at the sudden volume amplification from the other speaker. He sighed and tried to keep his cool. "You don't have to yell, Shigure."

"I just cannot believe what I'm hearing right now! You guys really loved each other. I mean I was sure you guys would run into problems, considering your terrible temper and all, but I thought you guys would be strong enough to get through it."

Kyo's clenched his jaw and his eyebrow twitched. "I _do not_ have anger problems. Anyway, I'm telling you, it wasn't me that was the problem! Tohr-you know what, I don't even want to mention her name. That _person_ was the issue."

"Pfftt, I doubt it. You're a hard mess to deal with, Kyon."

"I'm really starting to lose my patience with you."

"Haha, sorry, I apologize. It's just hard for me to imagine a terrible side of Tohru."

"Well for you, maybe, but for me, all I can think about when I think of that person are bad things."

"Like what?"

"She just flat out ignores me! She can't hold a damn conversation for her life and all she does is lock herself up in a room other than the one I'm in. I don't understand! She doesn't even smile at me anymore."

"Whew, you got it rough, Kyon. So I guess that means... no sexy-time?"

"Of cour-wait. That's none of your damn business, you perverted old dog!"

"Hehe! Well, I definitely wouldn't wanna be in your place! I can't survive living the way you live."

Kyo sighed and scratched his head. "Yeah, I'm not sure how I'm even managing to survive here in this hell hole."

"I do have some _things_ that could, I don't know, spice things up a little bit, if you know what I mean..."

"Just shut up! You never have anything intelligent to say, do you?"

Shigure chuckled. "It's just so fun to tease you. But in all seriousness, why don't you two go to a marriage counselor? Instead of just calling it quits, just give it another shot."

Kyo paused for a moment, his lips pursed in thought. "I don't know... Maybe it's best to just end it now without dragging it out."

"C'mon, that's like ten years of marriage wasted!"

"Seven, actually, but, I'll think about it."

Shigure triumphantly laughed. "That's the spirit! Maybe you'll finally have some night-time fun, heehee!"

"I'm hanging up."

"I'm kidding! Loosen up a bit. Let me know what happens soon, alright? You two take care."

"You and Akito, too. Bye." The cat-like man ended the call and put his phone in his black jeans pocket.

_Marriage counseling, huh? I guess it's not a bad idea... But will Tohru even agree to it? She seems like she wants to end this quick... But there's no harm in asking. Maybe this'll my chance to understand why she's been so cold to me for the past year..._

* * *

Tohru pushed around the chicken on her plate with her chopsticks, having no appetite after the previous conversation between her and Kyo. Kyo looked up from his plate and momentarily stopped eating to examine his wife's eating habits.

"Is it not good? Sorry, I can try to make the chicken more flavorful if you don't like it," said Kyo whilst taking another bite of his chicken. The woman on the other side of the mahogany dinner table weakly shook her head 'no' and slowly brought a piece of chicken to her mouth. Kyo eyed her carefully as she chewed, waiting for some sort of reaction. Alas, there was none. "So, what d'you think? Can we hold a decent conversation for once, please?"

Tohru continued to stare down at her plate as if the piece of broccoli were the most interesting thing in the world. Then, she grabbed her plate and stood up. "I'll clean up, Kyo-kun, so please go to bed. You have work early tomorrow morning anyway."

Kyo clenched his jaw and slammed his chopsticks on the table with more force than he meant to exert, startling the rice ball, who dropped her plate of uneaten food, which shattered into a million pieces scattered across the hard wood floor. Tohru quickly got on her knees and started picking up the tiny shards of glass.

"Ah!" yelped Tohru as she felt a sharp pain on her index finger. Bright red blood trickled down her slender finger to her frail wrist.

"Tohru, are you okay?! Are you hurt?" Kyo raced over to Tohru's side and squatted down beside her. He took her hand and brought it close to his face, inspecting the severity of the wound. "Stay right here. I'm gonna bring the first-aid kit. Don't even think about touching another piece of glass."

"O-Okay," sputtered Tohru, her cheeks heating up. _My heart is beating so fast. I have to get rid of these feelings... After all, I am going to separate from him._ She sat obediently in the same spot, waiting for her husband to return. A small smile crept up on her tired face, giving her the same radiance she once had as a younger woman. _It's nice to know that Kyo-kun still cares for me, though. _

Tohru heard loud footsteps getting nearer to her. She glanced up to find Kyo gasping for his breath, with the first-aid kit in hand. He sat cross-legged beside her and started to clean out the cut with the alcohol pads. Tohru flinched from the sting of the alcohol.

"Ah, sorry," apologized Kyo, focused on treating the brunette's injury. Tohru gazed at the man before her. She noticed how gentle he was with his hands. She could see the concentration on his face-the way his eyebrows furrowed and the way his lips were slightly parted-and she was mesmerized by how the structure of his face never changed over the years. With the exception of the length of his bangs, which had gotten longer, he was still the same Kyo that she had met in high school. His amber eyes were still burning with passion and determination, traits Tohru had fallen in love with so long ago.

Kyo finished up his work by smoothing over the flaps of the band-aid onto Tohru's finger. "There, all done." He glanced over at his wife, who was still looking at him with fascination. He raised his eyebrows. "Is there something on my face?"

Tohru's eyes widened and she hastily turned her face away from him so that he couldn't see the pink tint on her cheeks. "No, there isn't. Thank you for treating my cut."

The woman stood up to leave, but was stopped by the large hand that clung on to her wrist.

"Wait, Tohru," said Kyo, still sitting cross-legged on the floor. He looked down at the floor and took a moment to collect his thoughts. "Do you maybe want to go to couple's counseling?"

"Couple's counseling? I... I don't know..."

Kyo's cheeks heated up. _Damn, this is so embarrassing! I'm laying down my pride for this marriage..._

"I-I mean you don't have to! I just think that seven years of marriage is a long time to just throw away like that. But, if you don't want to, we don't hav-"

"Okay."

"Okay, what?"

"You don't have to explain anymore. I'll go with you, Kyo-kun."

Kyo's heart raced from his wife's unexpected answer. "R-Really? Okay, I'll set up the appointment right away! Oh, and don't worry about the glass. I'll clean it." He stood up and pulled his wife into a tight hug.

Tohru squeaked at his sudden move. Kyo's eyes widened and he abruptly pulled away from the embrace, his cheeks flushed. The pair couldn't meet eyes.

"Sorry. That was by accident."

Tohru's heart dropped. "O-Of course it was. Thanks for handling this mess. I'm gonna go to bed." With that, the small-framed woman disappeared into the bedroom.

As soon as Tohru left, Kyo ran his hands through his hair and groaned. His heart was still racing and he wasn't exactly sure what made him hug her like that. He convinced himself that it was just out of relief of avoiding the matter of alimony and other divorce related activities. _Yeah, that's right! I was excited because I wouldn't have to go through the hassle of meeting with a lawyer and making those stupid settlements about dividing the possessions... definitely that. _

In the bedroom, Tohru sat down against the wall, hugging her knees to her chest. She wondered why Kyo had suddenly hugged her, something that hadn't happened for a year. The familiarity of his arms against her back was something she had craved for so long. Yet, it felt wrong this time because she knew that another woman had felt the same embrace. The other woman had felt the security that the warmth of his chest provided, something that only Tohru had felt until a year ago.

_Kyo-kun still looks the same and behaves the same way. Am I the only one changing? Maybe I should forgive him for what he's done... maybe this counseling will help me to understand why he became tired of me and went after another woman..._

* * *

"Tohru, are you ready to go?" asked the orange-haired man as he waited, holding open his front door. He wore a black trench coat that accentuated his height, a pair of grey jeans, and black loafers. The fall breeze felt refreshing against his face. He closed his eyes and smiled as he enjoyed the tranquility of the environment.

"I'm ready," called a familiar, bell-like voice. Kyo opened his eyes and saw Tohru in a baby pink coat, black leggings, and a pair of brown boots that reached her knees. She wore a knitted pink hat that covered the top of her cropped brown hair. She had a shy smile on her face as she passed Kyo on her way out.

_She looks just like the Tohru I knew during high school..._ Kyo suppressed his automatic smile. _It's nice to see her look normal again. Maybe there's hope in this counseling after all._

Kyo had made an appointment with a marriage counselor that Shigure himself had personally recommended.

_"Trust me, trust me! This guy is the _best_ of the best. Akito and I went and it was great! If we hadn't gone, how would our little Shiori have been born? I'm telling you, this guy is the real deal."_

_ "If you say so... I mean you and Akito were really on the rocks, but I'm glad you guys were able to stick together."_

_ "He goes by the name Marco. He can be a bit extreme at times, but just comply with it, alright?"_

_ "Yeah, yeah, I got it."_

_ "Alright, then. Good luck, Kyon~ I need to go. Shiori wants lunch. Daddy's coming my sweet girl!~"_

Kyo closed the door to his house and locked up. He walked over to his shiny, black sedan and got in. Tohru sat in the passenger side. A silence hung about the air but was broken by Tohru's unexpected voice.

"Let's try our best, Kyo-kun. I'm willing to put in my effort if you are."

The feline man was pleasantly surprised to hear the sudden optimism come from his partner's mouth. His face broke into a smile.

"Yeah, let's try our best."

* * *

Upon arriving at the destination, Kyo and Tohru noticed the strange aura of the counseling place. The parking lot was desolate and various vines wrapped around the brick walls of the building.

"This isn't what I imagined," said Kyo, examining the sign above the door. The letters of the sign were lit up in a bright neon pink light, except some whose light had died. Kyo was ambivalent about entering, but after seeing Tohru shivering out in the cold, he decided to enter the building anyway.

A loud jingling of bells were heard as the door opened. A heavy smell of roses wafted into the couple's nostrils, inducing coughing fits from both people.

"Gross," muttered the orange-haired man. The place was slightly dim due to one of the light bulbs being out. "Is anyone here? Marco?"

"Polo!" yelled a loud voice that came from the desk. An old man with thinning grey hair popped up from behind the desk, surprising the Tohru and Kyo. "Hahaha! I'm sure I just startled you there! My name's Marco, pleased to meet you!"

Kyo and Tohru exchanged glances, unsure of what to make of the elderly man before them. Marco had an exuberant smile on his face.

"Hi, Marco," greeted Kyo rather tentatively. He offered his hand for Marco to shake. Marco laughed and walked around his desk towards Kyo. He proceeded to give Kyo a hearty hug. Kyo stared at the short man, bewildered by the strangeness of it all. He glanced at Tohru, who looked equally as bewildered. Marco then walked over to Tohru and gave her a tight squeeze as well, which lasted a tad bit too long in Kyo's opinion.

_This'll be interesting... I wonder if this'll really help me and Tohru. I guess we'll find out soon enough. I'll give it my all if it means keeping Tohru with me!_

**Thanks for reading the first chapter of "Couple's Counseling". I'll update more soon if I get good feedback on the story since it's only the beginning. But I think the amount of Fruits Basket readers have diminished since it's pretty old. Whatever, I'll keep writing for the remaining readers who want me to continue.**


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